2023-09-09 11:30:23
“I’ve only been managing Alex Newhook for a few days. We just lost a game in Bridgeport. I enter the locker room and decide to scold him in front of everyone. I tell him what I didn’t like regarding his part, what I would have liked him to do differently. I tell him that his game is below our expectations. All his teammates are there and witness the scene. Deep down, I’m curious to see how he will react. It’s when you confront a player publicly that you see their true nature come out. But Alex takes it all in without even looking away. He does not make excuses and admits his wrongs. I then understand how much of a team guy he is, how easy he will be to lead.”
Greg Cronin has been the new head coach of the Anaheim Ducks since June. But he is also the last instructor under whom Alex Newhook, acquired this summer by the Canadiens, produced at a rate of more than a point per game.
During the 2020-2021 season, Newhook, sold to the Colorado Eagles (Avalanche farm club) during the year, collected nine points in eight games. Cronin was in charge of the team at the time. Then, in 2021-2022, the new CH striker was sent once more to the American League, to the Eagles. Still led by Cronin, Newhook this time collected 11 points in 10 games.
“Some players, when you challenge them on things they need to correct, shut down and get defensive. This really wasn’t the case for Alex. I really appreciated this trait of his personality.”
“At one point, he had just helped the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup when he landed on my team for the second time. He might have approached the matter in a negative way. But instead he came up to me, looked at me and said, ‘tell me what I need to do to get back to the NHL.’ And he did it.”
Basically, the author of these lines wanted to build an article on Alex Newhook by including several speakers. But plans changed following the interview with Cronin.
For what? Because in Montreal, people want to know how the Habs coaches will make their new No. 15 a dominant player. Basically, Greg Cronin, even if the sample is relatively thin, is the last man to have achieved this. And, as a bonus, he did not refuse any questions.
A statement that will please CH supporters
It’s Friday and it’s 2 p.m. when Cronin takes the call.
A few days before the official opening of the various NHL training camps and therefore his very first exercise of this kind as head coach in the Bettman circuit, the 60-year-old man would have had several valid reasons to refuse this interview request.
However, quite the opposite is happening.
“I’m at the Chicago airport. I’m waiting for my flight, but I can happily talk to you regarding Alex.”
If it were always this simple…
Cronin has seen hockey in his life. In fact, he has been working behind a bench since 1987. He has 11 years of experience as an assistant in the NHL with the Maple Leafs and Islanders. He also served as head instructor for seven AHL campaigns.
Photo credit: Getty Images via AFP
In other words, he fully deserves the tenure that awaits him with the Ducks and… has an opinion that is just as fully worthy of consideration. This is why his statement below will please Canadiens fans.
“I don’t know how Kent Hughes and Martin St-Louis will want to use Alex, but I definitely think he has what it takes to produce in a top-6 NHL team. He has a lot of talent! Look at his journey. He’s always been a very productive guy. Offensive ease doesn’t just disappear. Ultimately, it is up to the coach to put his player in the best position so that he can shine.”
The recipe for making Newhook shine?
And precisely, how to make Alex Newhook shine?
“I didn’t coach him in the NHL, but I loved him at center, personally. He was better able to use his great speed and generate offense. That’s how (skating) he’s at his best.”
So much for the position. But what type of players is the 22-year-old at his best with?
“I made sure to play him with guys who might keep up with his pace,” Cronin said. Alex skates extremely quickly so if he is paired with players who can keep up with him, both in terms of speed and execution, the trio will naturally generate a lot of offense.
And on an individual level, adds our interlocutor, the recipe for Newhook to stand out is relatively simple.
“I repeat myself, but Alex is very talented with the puck. Except he’s not the tallest, nor the biggest. For his contribution to be maximized, I believe he must do everything possible to look good defensively. Chase the puck carrier, win your battles, be active in the forecheck. Ultimately, I think he can, if he applies himself in these departments, stand out from other players of his style.
Postman Martin St-Louis
There is still one fact that remains irrefutable to this day: Newhook, despite interesting flashes over his two seasons and a few games (six, in 2020-2021) with the Avalanche, never knew how to ‘establish and make its place.
However, some explain this reality by mentioning that the club’s great depth, particularly in attack, contributed to reducing the number of opportunities usually offered to a first-round pick like Newhook (16th overall in 2019). Cronin, to whom the theory was submitted, adhered to it immediately.
“It’s clear! In Colorado, he played on a very talented team where several quality attackers monopolized the minutes. Rantanen, MacKinnon, Landeskog, Lehkonen… I think that in a club where he will have a more important role, he might very well come out of the blocks and stand out.
Photo credit: AFP
And the person who will have the last word on the role that the young striker will play in Montreal is Martin St-Louis. Cronin is also very encouraged by the possible association between the two men.
“I saw what Martin was able to do with Cole Caufield, who is also a small player. I think if Martin stays himself and just shares his experience and the way he played with Alex, it will be a big, big plus. Martin went through many trials before finally establishing himself as one of the best players in the NHL. He might very well, if he opens up in this way, have a big impact on Alex.
Since his arrival with the CH, Martin St-Louis has more often than not demonstrated his ease in reviving talented young players (Caufield, Dach) stuck in the middle of difficult sequences. And talent, Alex Newhook has it in spades.
In Montreal, thousands of fans hope that another great story will be written. Greg Cronin firmly believes in it.
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